sund rock

Using my new Intova Connex video camera and a close-up lens... I don't buy expensive underwater cameras anymore because flooding is too much of a risk. This camera was $65 brand new, still sealed in the box. The close-up lens was $18. The deepest part of our dive was to 117ft. I'm also using two inexpensive video lights from China that cost about $25 each. For $133, I've got HD quality. So... why do people have to spend on underwater cameras? They don't... (p.s. sorry for not setting the clock on the video camera)

Open Letter to the Dive Community Concerning Sund Rock Dive Beach

AN OPEN LETTER FROM CINDY SUND ABOUT SUND ROCK, HOODSPORT, WASHINGTON... 

#scuba #SundRock #hoodsportWA #PugetSound #PacificNorthwest

https://jcaelitescuba.com/articles/Open_Letter_to_the_Dive_Community_Concerning_Sund_Rock_Dive_Beach.pdf

Open Letter to the Dive Community Concerning Sund Rock Dive Beach

I am writing this letter to the dive community in an effort to give some history and insight into the Sund Rock dive beach.  As far back as the early 60’s divers have been drawn to the unique underwater structure and habitat of Sund Rock.  Named for my family who homesteaded there prior to statehood. 

In the early days, divers were more of the hunter gatherer type.  Divers would park on highway 101, hike down the steep bank at the state turnout, don their gear and set out for a long surface swim to the rock.   Some would trespass and were chased out by my grandfather who had some rather creative ways to deal with a trespassing scuba diver!  They often left trash, fires and over harvested the lingcod, wolf eel, rock cod and octopus to near extinction.  

Fast forward to my father’s generation who in conjunction with the University of Washington created the underwater preserve.  As the years went on a new diver began to visit the site; observing, taking photos, doing fish counts and enjoying the underwater wonders.  Divers still did not have access to the beach other than the state turn out on highway 101, same steep bank and long surface swim. 

Tab to my generation who entered into an agreement with Hoodsport n Dive back in the 90’s and created an opportunity for divers to drive down to the Sund Rock beach, have a water entry and park off the highway.  The relationship with the dive community improved and there seemed to be a mutual respect between the family and dive community.  Divers appreciated the access and the family has appreciated the respect and care the divers have shown for the property, above and below the water.  It is my hope that this mutual respect continues.

As the Sund Family begins to manage the entry to the beach, there may be a few changes in policy and procedure.  We are hoping to build relationships with divers who truly care about the environment, and the creatures that inhabit the site above and below the water.  Simply by loving the site so much, our overuse of the area has taken a toll.  The family considers the beach to be a partnership of sorts.  We will provide limited access, a maintained road, porta potty, gear up benches, monitored entry and continue to add amenities such as a picnic area, a campsite, better lighting and hopefully a fresh water rinse area up top.  In exchange we ask that you sign in, pay a fee, take any trash you create with you, drive slowly up the road, take pictures and observe sea life from a distance, be aware the effect of excessive finning has on visibility and organisms, no harvesting of any kind, and close/lock the gate behind you. 

In the short term, we plan to open access to the beach on Saturdays and Sundays thru the summer from 9am to 4pm.  Registration and payment will be at the gate.  We are set up to take credit cards or cash.  The entry fee will be $15, which includes tax.   Weekday, night dives, off hours and group access can be arranged by emailing Cindy Sund at cindy@sundsonhoodcanal.com.   

Check out the Glamping camp site on Airbnb, it’s perched above the rock, has power, heat and a hot shower!  Ask for a tour next time you come out for a dive. 

Our family feels blessed to be the stewards of this special place and we enjoy sharing it with those divers that share our respect and gratitude for the land, water and wildlife that inhabit the site.  


Respectfully,  



Cindy Sund

The Barnacle. Believe it or not, one of my favorite animals to look at. ...

#barnacle #pugetsound #tidepoolcreatures #curlfooted

Diving at Sunrise Motel Hoodsport Washington Puget Sound on 4-27-18

Response to Article, "Lack of fitness spells disaster for inexperienced dive duo"

Response to article, "Lack of fitness spells disaster for inexperienced dive duo" 

#scuba #medicalhistoryquestionnaire #medicalreleaseform #refreshercourse #fitness #divetrainingmag #scubamag

https://www.scubadiving.com/lack-fitness-spells-disaster-for-inexperienced-dive-duo

The story points out several things that are true however several thing's were missed. While I agree that the diving population is getting older, and I definitely agree this population has increase physical limitations, the real issue is the missing advanced training, ongoing training, long hiatuses, longer breaks between dives AND not modifying the educational process to meet the needs of today's students and today's newest divers!

I believe that this diver's physical limitations contributed to his death, but this could have happened to him anywhere. Because it happened on a dive, the response from his son was inadequate however the diver himself failed in this responsibility as well. If divers don't acknowledge they need additional training and insist on it, who will? Logically you think that instructors and shops will but we know what they're really asking for.

My focus comes to this because as an independent scuba diving instructor I'm seeing more students that look like Glenn. With this, the industry has failed to alter their programs to match who it's current diver is today. Yes, the advanced training might have reduced the time necessary to extracate Glenn from the water, but advanced training shouldn't come as supplement to training rather be included in it. Courses should not be faster, easier, and there should never be an assumption that just because one paid for certification that one gets it.

I get that instructors and shops want to their student's to come back to take additional courses because it's a positive way to generate ongoing revenue, but if the industry is experiencing an 80% dropout rate, shortening the length of instruction and what's included in instruction illustrates how this fails it's customer base. Charge more for certification, make it more robust and thurough, and create a diver, not a card-carrying dropout statistic.

Safety is good business and common sense is a commodity that's way undervalued! I believe that medical evaluations and physicals are an individuals way to judge their physical ability to undertake a physically demanding activity like scuba but if you don't do anything with the outcome of that evaluation, is the diver any better off than not getting one? Think of medical evaluations as a factor in determining whether you should dive at all as well as should you not do certain dives.

More often than not, the medical release is a form that the student has to "get signed off" in order to go diving just like the the diver has to "get certified" in order to go diving. This concept of having to find "the way" to get what you want without the work required for it is contributed only more by a just culture of instant gratification and a demanding population.

I'm going to illustrate this concept by the one following example.

Just the other day I overheard and witnessed a student that had a hiatus of twelve years off, get a half hour of redmedial education and 45 minutes in the pool. In fact, that person was done with their refresher in less time than it took my student to try on rental equipment for his certification dive weekend. As the independent instructor that doesn't work for a dive shop, I am the fly on the wall that sees all!

I later overheard his instructor saying that he looked great in the pool. Since when does "how a diver looks in a pool" an evaluation of what he'll perform in open water? That person's buoyancy might have been more of a comfort factor of the warm, clear, and clean water of THE POOL not to mention that he only had four pounds of weight on his belt.

My rule is, after twelve or more months off from diving, the student needs at least two open water dives with an instructor before updating a logbook or reissuing a certification card. ...and if the shops out there are thinking that several hours of instruction, and several hours in the pool, and two dives is not cost effective, I can do this in a day and charge $350 for this service. Refresher courses are not a means to get back in the water, they should be the process to do so. This process must be complete!

I know of no industry that allows a twelve year hiatus and will allow a person to start up again in an hour and fifteen minutes. Would you let a surgeon operate on you; a bus driver take your kids to school; a welder on a skyscraper; or a auto mechanic to take a twelve year hiatus and feel confident in that person's abilities?

"In no field does certification alone guarantee competence. With long down times between dives, skills will degrade." --Alex Brylske

Elearning, self-study programs, student motivation, and Easter eggs!

I've been seeing something for years, really since I went to college, but I didn't think I'd see it in scuba diving...  Here are some questions that I'll try to answer or at the very least get some of the other instructors to think about.

• Are your students rushing through the reading material? 
• Are they actually reading it or just skimming?
• What is the student's level of comprehension after completing self-study instead of in-class participation, presentation, or lecture?
• Are students just getting answers to pass the quizzes or final exam?
• How well do you think students would do if they were given the final exam at the end of the course, after the certification dives?
• If students missed questions on the final exam but they are allowed to pass the final after "reviewing" wrong answers with the instructor and acknowledging that they understand, do they or are they just nodding their heads?
• Did they find the Easter eggs?

Rushing.



Skimming.



Comprehension.



Quizzes and Final Exams.




Alternate test taking criteria.



Blank stares and glassy eyes.



Easter eggs.



My Educational Review.
https://jcaelitescuba.com/lessons/abbreviated-for-blog.pdf

RESPONSE TO ARTICLE: "Gateshead scuba diver's death was tragic accident, coroner rules | The Northern Echo"

Gateshead scuba diver's death was tragic accident, coroner rules | The Northern Echo

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/16137619.Experienced_scuba_diver__39_s_death_in_US_was__quot_tragic_accident_quot_/

It appears that he had an inflator stick... So, how is it that an "experienced diver" doesn't disconnect the LP inflator hose right away, yet my students are taught this before they enter the pool! "Day one skills" are the essence of becoming an experienced diver not the number of dives you have or the Mount Everest of dives, "The Andrea Doria"

While it's sad that a diver lost his life, equipment malfunctions are very rare. Inflators are notorious for being neglected by divers when cleaning their own gear as well as during equipment servicing -- especially on rental gear!

Even when teaching drysuit courses, disconnecting the inflator hose comes off before attempting to remedy any other issues.

While there is always speculation and controversy when a diver dies, the lessons we learn from them very often fall back to lessons we should pay more attention to -- if you are ever taught them at all... 

Watch my full explanation of equipment set up poolside. This is what the student learns before even getting into the water:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCW8eHiMaJU

Watch the section that discusses the inflator, a stuck inflator button, and disconnecting the LP hose:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCW8eHiMaJU&t=10m25s